Pope Francis' maintained diplomacy while meeting with his political nemesis Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Monday.
As an Argentine Cardinal he clashed with President Fernandez who he accused of perpetuating demagoguery meanwhile she compared his position against gay adoptions to the Middle Ages and the Inquisition.
Despite their conflicts, they seemed to enjoy sharing lunch together as Fernandez gave the new pope a mate gourd and straw, to hold the traditional Argentine tea that Francis loves, and he gave her a kiss.
"Never in my life has a pope kissed me!" Fernandez said afterward.
The Argentine President and her predecessor/late husband, Nestor Kirchner clashed with then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as they advanced an anti-traditional and pro-sex agenda in the country which included mandatory sex education in schools, free distribution of contraceptives in public hospitals, and the right for transsexuals to change their official identities on demand. In 2010 Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriages.
According to Francis' authorized biographer, Sergio Rubin, the former Cardinal was politically was awaren that he wouldn't win a straight-on fight against gay marriage. Instead, he urged his bishops to lobby for gay civil unions instead, however his proposal was shot down by the bishops' conference and the church lost the issue altogether.
Last year Bergoglio said Argentina was being harmed by demagoguery, totalitarianism, corruption and efforts to secure unlimited power.
Fernandez issued a perfunctory message of congratulations when Francis was elected last week, calling the election of the first Latin American pope "historic." She also wrote him a letter of congratulations, which wasn't even signed.
Tomorrow, Fernandez and other world leaders will attend his installation Mass in St. Peter's Square that is estimated to draw 1 million people to Rome.
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